François-Louis Tremblay
Encyclopedia
François-Louis Tremblay (born November 13, 1980, in Alma, Quebec
, Canada
) is a Canadian short track speed skater and five-time Olympic medalist who competed at the 2002
, 2006
, and 2010 Winter Olympics
.
François-Louis Tremblay is one of only two Canadian men to win 5 medals at the Winter Olympic games, the other man being Marc Gagnon
. At the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Tremblay was a member of Canada's gold medal-winning 5,000-meter relay team. In Turin
, Italy
, at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, he won two silver medals. He won an individual medal by finishing second in the men's 500-meter race and also took part in the men's 5,000-meter relay that finished second behind the South Korean team. He added a bronze medal in the 500 m
and gold medal in the 5000 m relay
in 2010.
Tremblay was the two-time world champion at 500 meters, having won back-to-back titles at the 2005 World Short Track Championships
in Beijing
and again at the 2006 World Short Track Championships
in Minneapolis.
. Tremblay is currently second on the all-time medals list for Canadian short-trackers in medals received in the Olympics and World Championships, although 7 of his 9 gold members were either a part of the relay team or World Team Championships
. He did win the 500m world crown back to back in 2005 and 2006, following with a silver behind teammate Charles Hamelin
in 2007.
The 500 m has become Tremblay's premier event, one which he bloomed into late only winning his first individual world medal in the event in 2005. Despite his late arrival as an elite athlete of the event he has excelled at the event at a point in which most short trackers are considering retirement. Tremblay won the 2008-09 World Cup overall
in the 500 m, and in the shortened 2009-10 World Cup
season he finished a second overall in the 500 m to teammate Charles Hamelin again. Tremblay has continued to anchor the relay team together with Hamelin. After losing at the world cup event in Canada he made a guarantee of sorts saying "next time we're going to win...we're going to win the gold medal" in the relay at the 2010 Winter Olympics
.
, with his teammate Charles Hamelin
winning gold. He then won a gold medal in the 5000 m relay
along with Charles Hamelin, François Hamelin
, Olivier Jean
and Guillaume Bastille
. With the two medals at the Olympics, Tremblay tied a record set by Marc Gagnon as the only Canadian men to win 5 medals in the Winter Olympics.
. He also played with Canadian rock legend Tom Cochrane
in April 2010 as he performed the song Big League to honour the Canadian male and female hockey team.
Alma, Quebec
Alma is a town in the Canadian province of Quebec.-Geography:Alma is located on the southeast coast of Lac Saint-Jean where it flows into the Saguenay River, in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, approximately 175 km north of Quebec City...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
) is a Canadian short track speed skater and five-time Olympic medalist who competed at the 2002
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
, 2006
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
, and 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
.
François-Louis Tremblay is one of only two Canadian men to win 5 medals at the Winter Olympic games, the other man being Marc Gagnon
Marc Gagnon
Marc Gagnon is a French Canadian short track speed skater. He is a four-time Overall World Champion for 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1998, and winner of three Olympic gold medals....
. At the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Tremblay was a member of Canada's gold medal-winning 5,000-meter relay team. In Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, he won two silver medals. He won an individual medal by finishing second in the men's 500-meter race and also took part in the men's 5,000-meter relay that finished second behind the South Korean team. He added a bronze medal in the 500 m
Short track speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Men's 500 metres
The men's 500 metres in short track speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held 24–26 February 2010 at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada....
and gold medal in the 5000 m relay
Short track speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Men's 5000 metre relay
The men's 5000 metre relay in short track speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics began on 17 February, and ended on 26 February at the Pacific Coliseum.-Semifinals:-Final B :-Final A :-External links:...
in 2010.
Tremblay was the two-time world champion at 500 meters, having won back-to-back titles at the 2005 World Short Track Championships
2005 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships
The 2005 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place between March 9 and March 11, 2005, in Beijing, China. The World Championships are organised by the ISU which also run world cups and championships in speed skating and figure skating.-Men:...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and again at the 2006 World Short Track Championships
2006 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships
The 2006 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place between March 29 and March 31, 2006, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The World Championships are organised by the ISU which also run world cups and championships in speed skating and figure skating....
in Minneapolis.
Career
Tremblay's career has been one as a prominent member of the Canadian short track team. The emphasis is particularly on team here as Tremblay has featured prominently as a member of the relay team helping it to a gold medal during the 2002 Olympics and a silver medal in Turin 2006. It was at the Turin Olympics that Tremblay won his only individual medal finishing 2nd behind Apolo Anton OhnoApolo Anton Ohno
Apolo Anton Ohno is an American short track speed skating competitor and an eight-time medalist in the Winter Olympics. He is the most decorated American Winter Olympic athlete of all time....
. Tremblay is currently second on the all-time medals list for Canadian short-trackers in medals received in the Olympics and World Championships, although 7 of his 9 gold members were either a part of the relay team or World Team Championships
World Short Track Speed Skating Team Championships
The World Short Track Speed Skating Team Championships are a professional team short track speed skating event and held once a year in a different country.Top 8 countries from Short Track World Cup Series qualify automatically...
. He did win the 500m world crown back to back in 2005 and 2006, following with a silver behind teammate Charles Hamelin
Charles Hamelin
Charles Hamelin is a Canadian short track speed skater from Sainte-Julie, Quebec. Hamelin is a 3 time Olympic medalist having won 2 gold and 1 silver during the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics...
in 2007.
The 500 m has become Tremblay's premier event, one which he bloomed into late only winning his first individual world medal in the event in 2005. Despite his late arrival as an elite athlete of the event he has excelled at the event at a point in which most short trackers are considering retirement. Tremblay won the 2008-09 World Cup overall
2009 Short Track Speed Skating World Cup
The 2008-09 Short Track Speed Skating World Cup was a multi race tournament over a season for Short track speed skating. The season began on October 18, 2008, and lasted until February 15, 2009...
in the 500 m, and in the shortened 2009-10 World Cup
2009–10 Short Track Speed Skating World Cup
The 2009-10 Short Track Speed Skating World Cup was a multi race tournament over a season for Short track speed skating. The season began on September 17, 2009 and lasted till November 15, 2009. The World cup was shortened this year and consisted of only 4 events due the 2010 Winter Olympics in...
season he finished a second overall in the 500 m to teammate Charles Hamelin again. Tremblay has continued to anchor the relay team together with Hamelin. After losing at the world cup event in Canada he made a guarantee of sorts saying "next time we're going to win...we're going to win the gold medal" in the relay at the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
.
2010 Vancouver Olympics
At Tremblay's age of 29 these will likely be his last games and therefore his first and last games on home soil. In the opening heat of the 500 m Francois-Louis Tremblay broke Charles Hamelin's Olympic Record which had just been set the heat before. The record was now set at 41.397 seconds. On February 26, he won two medals in one night. He won a bronze medal in the 500 mShort track speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Men's 500 metres
The men's 500 metres in short track speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held 24–26 February 2010 at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada....
, with his teammate Charles Hamelin
Charles Hamelin
Charles Hamelin is a Canadian short track speed skater from Sainte-Julie, Quebec. Hamelin is a 3 time Olympic medalist having won 2 gold and 1 silver during the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics...
winning gold. He then won a gold medal in the 5000 m relay
Short track speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Men's 5000 metre relay
The men's 5000 metre relay in short track speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics began on 17 February, and ended on 26 February at the Pacific Coliseum.-Semifinals:-Final B :-Final A :-External links:...
along with Charles Hamelin, François Hamelin
François Hamelin
François Hamelin is a Canadian short track speed skater from Sainte-Julie, Quebec, currently residing in Montreal. He is the younger brother of acclaimed Canadian short tracker Charles Hamelin...
, Olivier Jean
Olivier Jean
Olivier Jean is a Canadian short track speed skater from Lachenaie, Quebec currently residing in Montreal. He is a well known figure for his dreadlocks and for listening to reggae which he says makes him skate faster.Jean skates in every distance for the Canadian team and is a member of the...
and Guillaume Bastille
Guillaume Bastille
Guillaume Bastille is a Canadian short track speed skater from Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec.He competed at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver in the men's 1500 metre short track and the men's 5000 metre relay competitions...
. With the two medals at the Olympics, Tremblay tied a record set by Marc Gagnon as the only Canadian men to win 5 medals in the Winter Olympics.
Personal
Tremblay's favourite hobby is playing guitar. He was a guest guitarist in Radio-Canada's TV show "Tellement sport" to play with the band KarkwaKarkwa
-History:Formed in 1998, the group consists of vocalist and guitarist Louis-Jean Cormier, keyboardist François Lafontaine, bass guitarist Martin Lamontagne, percussionist Julien Sagot, and drummer Stéphane Bergeron...
. He also played with Canadian rock legend Tom Cochrane
Tom Cochrane
Tom Cochrane, OC Canadian musician and humanitarian, best known for his hit songs "Life Is a Highway", "Lunatic Fringe", "Human Race" and "I Wish You Well". Cochrane fronted the Canadian rock band Red Rider and has won seven Juno Awards...
in April 2010 as he performed the song Big League to honour the Canadian male and female hockey team.